Instagram Extends Reels Duration to 3 Minutes

Regardless of whether TikTok faces a U.S. ban, Instagram is wasting no time positioning itself as the go-to alternative for users.

In a big move, Instagram has officially rolled out 3-minute Reels, giving creators extra time to craft their short-form masterpieces.

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri explained:

“Starting today, you can upload Reels to Instagram up to three minutes long. Historically, the limit was 90 seconds because we wanted to focus on short-form video rather than long-form content. However, we’ve heard from many creators that 90 seconds just isn’t enough, so we’re increasing the limit to help you tell the stories you really want to share.”

But wait—didn’t Instagram recently claim that videos over 90 seconds negatively impact content performance? Learn how to create React Native apps.

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Yes, it absolutely did:

In fact, Instagram has consistently advised creators against posting longer Reels, as highlighted in this tip it shared earlier this month:

So, while you can post longer Reels if you’d like, it might not be the best idea given Instagram’s repeated advice.

That said, Instagram has been experimenting with extended Reels for a while now, even testing 10-minute Reels with select users.

It’s not exactly a new concept, and it seems aimed at aligning Reels more closely with TikTok, which already allows users to post longer videos. YouTube also recently extended the length of Shorts to three minutes, after announcing the update last year. In this sense, Instagram is simply keeping up with the competition while offering creators more flexibility.

Whether you should take advantage of this, though, is another question.

It ultimately depends on your content and audience. There could be untapped potential in longer clips, despite Instagram’s current advice against posting Reels over 90 seconds.

That said, the option is now there—if you want to use it.